


Not Alone Anymore

by AlphaScorpiixx



Series: Hearts Shaped Like Stars [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, I just need Naminé to be happy ok, Naminé has insecurities, Riku is also supportive, Xion and Olette are supportive friends, post-kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaScorpiixx/pseuds/AlphaScorpiixx
Summary: A long-awaited reunion, and a new introduction.Naminé might have her own life now, but she's still trying to figure out how much she belongs in Kairi's.
Relationships: Kairi & Kairi's Grandmother (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Naminé (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé & Kairi's Grandmother (Kingdom Hearts), Naminé & Olette & Xion (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Hearts Shaped Like Stars [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970083
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

“Roxas, have you heard from Naminé today?”

Roxas looked up from his project. His skateboard lay on the table, wheels up, and various tools scattered around. Xion had seen him fiddle with it all day, apparently trying to loosen the wheels. He set down a screwdriver to fish his Gummiphone out of his pocket.

“No, why?”

“I got a message from Olette earlier,” Xion said. She leaned against the door frame, absently scrolling through the messages on her own phone. “Naminé is in town and wants to know if Olette and I wanted to hang out.”  
Roxas leaned back in his chair and rested his head in his hands. “And she didn’t message you?”

“Nope.”

“Huh. Maybe she lost her phone. You gonna go?”

Xion nodded. She looked through her messages one last time. “Do you want to come with us?”

“Nah, you girls have fun. Hey, bring me back some ice cream!” Roxas called as she left. “Sea salt! And don’t let it melt!”

*

She walked down the hill to the Tram Commons, basking in the warmth from the orange sunset. Twilight Town was officially their home now in the months since the last battle: her, Roxas, Axel, and Isa. Their other friends may live in different worlds, but they were only a Gummiship ride away.

The sun remained in it’s constant position just above the horizon, but the clock tower informed her it was three in the afternoon. She checked her Gummiphone again. Still nothing from Naminé. Strange.

She paused her walk, a moment of doubt washing over her. Maybe Olette had it wrong. Did Naminé really want her to come? Well, if she didn’t, Xion would bribe her with ice cream. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and continued down the street.

Naminé and Olette were waiting for her outside the Bistro. Xion waved and hurried over.

“Hey, Xion!” Olette said. She jumped out of her seat to greet her with a hug. “We’re glad you could come!”

“Hey, guys.” Xion returned the hug. She took a seat next to them and looked over at Naminé. “How long have you been in Twilight Town? I didn’t know you were coming to visit or I could have asked Axel or Isa to pick you up.”

“It’s okay. Riku dropped me off. I was going to call, but my gummiphone’s out of power.” Naminé smiled sheepishly as she held up her black-screeened phone. Xion raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment. She didn’t know the intricacies of gummi construction, but didn’t Chip and Dale say it ran on smiles? Or was that just the Gummiship?

Olette was chatting away before Xion could dwell on the thought longer. “Naminé was telling me about the Destiny Islands. I’m so jealous. You get a beach vacation every day!”

“You’re welcome to come over whenever you want,” Naminé said.

Olette sighed. “I would if I didn’t have school. And I wouldn’t want to bother you guys all the time. Anyway, where do we want to go first? Naminé, is there anything specific you wanted to do?”

“Um, no. Not really.” Naminé fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. “I was just . . . a little bored hanging around the islands all day and wanted to come here.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll show you all around town!” Olette said. “Xion, any suggestions for our first stop?”

“Why not the shops in the Commons? They’re nearby. And then let’s get some ice cream. Roxas wants me to bring him back some.”

“Sounds great!” Olette said and jumped up. “Hey, why don’t we invite Kairi, too? Make it a girls’ hangout.”

“Yeah!” Xion reached for her phone, but Naminé responded first.

“Kairi’s busy. She, ah, she’s been training with Aqua lately and has been spending the nights in the Land of Departure.” Naminé smiled. Something about her expression seemed stiff. But then she brushed her hair behind her ear and the strangeness was gone.

“Oh, okay.” Xion put her phone away. Sounds just like Kairi to do extra Keyblade training. She made a mental note to ask Aqua for some lessons. Roxas was beating her too often.

“We’ll set up a girls’ night some other time.” Olette linked her arms through Xion’s and Naminé’s. “Let’s hit the shops!”

They let Olette drag them away. She immediately went to the accessory shop first, browsing the selection of charms and jewelry. Xion eyed a pair of black diamond earrings. They’d go well with her hair and dress.

She noticed Naminé hanging back a little, looking at the jewelry but not with much interest. 

“Is there anything you like, Naminé?”

“Oh, I forgot to bring some munny.”

“That’s okay! I’ll buy for you.”

“Really?”

“Really! C’mon, pick something!”

“There’s a sale today, kupo.” The Moogle shopkeep said. “Buy two, get one half off. Only on select items, of course.”

Naminé looked over the display again and glanced at Xion. “You sure you don’t mind paying?”

“Don’t worry about it, Naminé. Besides, Axel’s the one with the job, so it’s technically his munny. Roxas and I make him buy us stuff all the time.”

“Oh, well if Axel’s paying . . .” Naminé grinned slyly, and Xion laughed.

“Buy anything you want.”

Naminé selected a bracelet from the rack and held it up to show Xion. It was a simple silver chain. A small butterfly charm dangled from the bracelet, the wings embedded with blue gemstones.

“Ooh, that one’s so pretty!” Olette said. She clasped it around Naminé’s wrist while Xion paid for it and her earrings. With Olette’s necklace added to the purchase, the Moogle gave them the sale price. An opportunity that needed to be taken advantage of, since Moogles rarely offered discounts.

The girls hung around Tram Commons before heading up Market Street. They browsed more stores before taking a tram to Sunset Terrace. There they sat on the hill eating ice cream. Not quite the same view as the clocktower, but fewer stairs to climb, Xion thought.

“How late can you guys stay?” Olette asked.

“All day is fine. I don’t have anything going on.” Xion licked her ice cream. Sea salt, as usual, though she had tried other flavors. Chocolate and strawberry were both good, but sea salt was the best.

“Great! Want to hangout at my house?”

“Wait, Roxas’s ice cream is going to melt,” Xion said. She bent over and checked her bag where the extra ice cream bar sat in its packaging. A touch confirmed it had started to go soft and melty.

Olette grinned. “Eat it right now and say you had to sacrifice it. For the greater good.”

Xion laughed. “What about you, Naminé? Naminé?” Xion nudged her shoulder.

“Huh?” Naminé looked up from where she’d been staring into space. She’d hardly eaten a bite of ice cream, and it was about to drip onto her fingers.

“Olette asked if we wanted to hang out at her house for the rest of the day. Can you stay, or do you need to get back to the islands?”

“Yeah. Sure thing.” 

“Is everything okay? You seem kind of . . . out of it lately.”

“Everything’s fine.” Naminé smiled, but, again, Xion thought it looked a little forced. But Olette was standing up and Naminé followed suit. Xion flicked her stick in the trash, eyes on Naminé as they walked back to the station.

*

“We definitely need to have a girls’ night sometime,” Olette said. She held up her hand and blew on her nails. The three of them sat on the floor of Olette’s room, bottles of nail polish scattered around.

“What’s a girls’ night?” Naminé asked. 

“Basically what we’re doing right now, except it’s also a sleepover. We order take-out, stay up late, talk about crushes, and spy on the neighbors.”

“Olette’s been begging me to set one up with you, Kairi, and Aqua,” Xion said. She’d finished with her first color, a layer of orange that would become a sunset sky.

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Naminé said. “But why do you spy on your neighbors?”

“Because they’re definitely up to something! Listen.” Olette leaned forward, and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s this woman who lives next door. I watered her houseplants for a week last summer while she was out of town. I noticed she collects these antique clocks, but the thing is, they’re all set to different times of the day! Every single one! And this other guy, he gets things delivered to his door all the time, but always after 9 pm, never during the day—”

Olette carried on describing her neighbors’ strange behavior. Xion’s phone buzzed. A message from Kairi. She tried not to smudge the polish as she picked it up.

_ Hey, Xion, Roxas said Naminé was with you? I need to talk to her. _

_ Yeah, what’s up? _

Xion frowned as she read Kairi’s reply. Naminé had said Kairi was busy today. They exchanged a few more messages, her frown turning into lip-biting concern.

“Hey, Naminé?” Xion asked. Olette paused her stories as Naminé looked over. “I just got a text from Kairi—”

She didn’t get to finish her question, because at that moment Naminé burst into tears.


	2. Chapter 2

_ One week earlier _

Kairi cast Reflect. A shining barrier appeared around herself and blasted away a Blizzara spell. The instant the light vanished, Kairi was moving again, dancing on her feet and dodging more icy projectiles. Her Keyblade glowed as she flung her own spells, but her target moved too fast, a somersaulting blur of blue and white.

“Freeze!” Aqua shouted. Kairi stumbled, the ground now a layer of ice beneath her feet. Aqua charged forward, weapon poised for the final blow.

Their Keyblades locked together. Aqua shoved hers forward, pushing Kairi off balance. 

“Fira!” Kairi spun a whirl of flames around her body. Aqua retreated and leapt onto the ledge above the pond. She pelted Kairi with thin daggers of ice, wrapped in a burst of Aero. The chill wind tossed her hair in her face and stung her eyes. She squinted and formed another Reflect barrier. While the sphere protected her body, she reached inward for the light in her soul.

The barrier dropped. Aqua raised her Keyblade, charging a Thunder spell. 

A blur of light-infused metal whizzed through the air. Destiny’s Embrace struck Aqua’s Keyblade out of her grasp. She gasped and looked for Kairi, but the other girl had disappeared in a blink of light. Now she reappeared on the ledge, Keyblade in hand, and knocked Aqua back to the ground with one strike.

“Kairi, you were amazing!” Ventus shouted as she jumped down from the ledge. He came racing over from the sidelines, grinning broadly and nearly bouncing with excitement.

“That was a good move.” Aqua smiled proudly as she stood up. “You’ve been improving a lot!”

Kairi blushed a little. “Oh, thanks. Riku’s been teaching me a few tricks.”

“How did you do that disappearing trick?” Ven said. “You have to show me!”

Aqua smiled at his enthusiasm and ruffled his hair. “Ven, give her a break first. C’mon, let’s see if Terra wants lunch.”

They started back to the castle. Kairi paused as her phone vibrated in her pocket. A text from Riku, asking when she wanted a ride home. She went to reply, but another message caught her eye. This one from Aerith, sent a half hour ago. Kairi only managed to read the first line before her vision blurred.

“—a blink and you were gone—uh? Kairi?” Ven asked. He’d notice her tears, and his enthusiasm gave way to concern. “Everything okay?”

Kairi nodded and tried to speak, but her throat choked up. Aqua laid a comforting hand on her back.

“What’s wrong, Kairi?”

She held out her phone and let them read Aerith’s message.

_ Kairi, we’ve located your grandmother. She’s doing fine and is in good health. Can you come to the Garden sometime? She’s been asking about you. _

*

Riku piloted the Gummiship through an asteroid field. He’d gotten pretty comfortable with the controls, as far as Kairi could tell, expertly weaving between chunks of rock and debris. It was one of the most comfortable Gummiship flights she’d ever had, though the number was not very high.

Kairi watched the stars out the cockpit window. Some flared with light and others lay distant, countless worlds in the Ocean Between. Destiny Islands was one of them. If she closed her eyes, she could sense the glimmer of light that was her home, the sound of the surf always calling to her even from so far away.

She tried to ignore the tug at her heartstrings and focus on a different world. She imagined the towers and sloping roofs of Radiant Garden, flowers peeking through the stones and vines twisting up the walls. The world of her birth, yet still so unfamiliar.

“Do you think . . .” she began, but the words died before she could finish the thought.

“Yeah?” Riku asked. He glanced back at her from the pilot seat.

“It’s just . . .” Kairi tried again. Her tongue seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth. She rolled back her shoulders and forced her jaw to unclench. A deep breath, in and out. “I’m nervous.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

She took a moment to find the right words for the doubt weighing in her mind. “What if—what if she doesn’t remember me?”

“Didn’t Aerith say she was asking about you?”

“Yeah, but it’s been  _ ten years _ . What if—”

“Kairi,” Riku said before her thoughts spiraled out of control. He flicked the autopilot switch and knelt down beside her. “She’ll remember you, Kairi. She’s been waiting so long, we don’t want her to wait any longer.”

Kairi didn’t meet his gaze. “I know, I know. I still feel worried, though.”

Riku rested his hand on hers and squeezed it tight. “She probably feels the same way. I bet she’s worried  _ you _ won’t remember  _ her _ .”

“Oh. I didn’t really think about that.” Now her hesitation was gone, replaced by desperate urgency. She wanted to jump up and push the Gummiship full throttle, to get to Radiant Garden as soon as possible and find her grandmother. Why hadn’t she thought about her feelings? Kairi had only been five when she arrived on Destiny Islands. It was a miracle she remembered anything about her grandmother at all.

Kairi yanked her hand back and shooed him away. “So what are you hanging around back here for? Come on, we need to get to Radiant Garden!”

“Okay, okay.” Riku smiled as he returned to his seat. “You want to warp the rest of the way?” 

“ _ Yes! _ ”

A purple light enveloped the ship. In an instant, they were above Radiant Garden and descending into the afternoon sky. Kairi stood up and pressed her hands against the window. The town spread out beneath her, and the surface of the lake sparkled in the sun.

Riku landed the ship in the hills just outside of town. Kairi stepped outside, breathing in the sweet air. 

“Ready?” Riku asked.

“Yeah.” 

She rubbed the tears away before they could fall. After a decade apart, Kairi was about to see her grandmother again.


	3. Chapter 3

After her year-long stay in the Old Mansion, Naminé was used to the eternal sunset. The sun had disappeared below the hills, but only barely, and the horizon still glowed bright. Xion had brought her to the balcony to get some air after she’d calmed down a bit. Now she sat on one of the cushioned deck chairs, trying to steady her breaths.

“Hey,” Olette said from the doorway. She held out two mugs. “I made some tea. There’s honey in it, I hope you don’t mind.”

Naminé’s throat hurt from crying, so she nodded her thanks and took one of the mugs. It steamed in her face as she took a sip, but the liquid had cooled enough to drink.

Xion returned from the other room, finished with her call to Kairi. Naminé drilled her gaze into her tea to avoid meeting her eyes. Still, the other girl bent over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Naminé, Kairi said she’s been trying to talk to you, but you haven’t responded at all. She’s really worried about you. Is something wrong?”

Naminé swallowed her tea in an effort to get past the lump in her throat. She tried to keep her hands from shaking, but the ripples in the tea betrayed her.

“Kairi met her grandmother again,” she mumbled. “She’s been staying in Radiant Garden with her.”

“Her grandmother lives in Radiant Garden? I thought Kairi was from Destiny Islands,” Olette asked. “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t pry.”

Xion gave her an abridged summary of Radiant Garden’s fall and how Kairi had ended up on the islands. Olette nodded along, apparently not as confused as Naminé expected her to be. Naminé didn’t know how much Xion and Roxas’s Twilight Town friends knew, but they’d been to Destiny Islands, so they at least knew of other worlds. 

“So Kairi found her grandmother again? That’s amazing! Wait, are we still sad?” Olette glanced between the two of them. “I don’t understand.”

“Naminé,” Xion pulled up an extra chair and sat down. “Will you please tell us what’s going on?”

“Kairi talked to me a few days ago. She wants me to . . . to . . .” She struggled to get the words out. “Kairi wants me to meet her but I can’t. I can’t do it.”

The mug slipped from her fingers and slipped all over the floor. Naminé buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Olette dashed inside to grab a rag while Xion pulled her into a hug.

“Hey, it’s okay, Nam. It’s okay.” Xion rubbered her hand in gentle circles across Naminé’s back. Once Naminé’s sobs had calmed again, Xion tried again, “So, you don’t want to go to Radiant Garden and see your grandmother—”

Naminé shook her head and pulled away. “No, I don’t want to see  _ Kairi’s _ grandmother. I’m not  _ her _ granddaughter, I’m—I’m  _ nothing  _ to her.”

“What? You’re not nothing. You’re  _ you _ . You’re . . .” Xion trailed off, unable to find the right words. Naminé still held her face in her hands, not meeting her gaze. She glanced at Olette, who’d returned with a rag and had begun cleaning up the spill. “You might not be her granddaughter, but wouldn’t she want to meet one of Kairi’s friends?”

“Oh, I get it,” Olette said softly. “You think she won’t like you because you’re a . . . um, what’s the word? A Not . . . Person?”

“Nobody,” Xion answered. “Naminé, is that what this is about? You don’t want to meet her because you’re a Nobody?”

She nodded weakly. “How do I—How do I explain what I am?” She pictured the meeting in her mind.  _ Hi, I’m Naminé. Your granddaughter lost her heart and I’m the extra part leftover when she got it back. Surprise! Now you have  _ two  _ granddaughters! _

“The same way you guys explained to me,” Olette said. “By just telling her what you are. Besides, maybe she  _ does _ want to meet you. Did you think about that?”

Naminé almost laughed but contained herself. Olette was an ordinary girl, and Naminé didn’t fault her for thinking that. An ordinary girl who wasn’t someone else’s shadow.

“If you feel uncomfortable, you can always say no,” Xion said.

“But Kairi wants me to come and I don’t want to disappoint her,” Naminé mumbled through her fingers. She pressed her hands into her face, willing herself to simply vanish so she didn’t have to deal with the thought of Kairi’s disappointment or her grandmother’s rejection. She couldn’t decide which outcome was worse. Kairi might forgive her eventually, but the two girls saw each other everyday. Despite that, Naminé was relieved she’d chosen to live on Destiny Islands with Kairi instead of Radiant Garden. The possibility of seeing Kairi’s grandmother that often made her stomach clench with dread.

Xion laid her hand on Naminé’s shoulder. “Naminé, Kairi isn’t going to force you to go. If you don’t want to see her, then that’s your choice. But we think you should. At least just to meet her. A five minute chat, that’s all. And if you don’t want to see her again, or she doesn’t want to see you, then you can come right back here and stay with us, okay?”

Naminé peeked between her fingers at Xion. Both girls resembled Kairi, but Naminé always thought Xion did more than her. Dark hair cut close to her face, suntanned skin, and deep blue eyes. She’d adapted to normal life with ease. Naminé felt like the odd one out, never quite fitting in anywhere.

Her hands fell down to her lap. Her fingernails were still unfinished, patches of blue only covering one hand. She picked at them absently, and the half-dried polish smeared over her fingertips.

“Five minutes?” she whispered, her voice as unsteady as her hands. “That’s it?”

An encouraging smile broke out over Xion’s face. “Yeah. Just a quick chat, nothing more.”

She closed her eyes. “. . . Okay.”

The girls drew her into a group hug. Naminé didn’t move and pushed back her fear. She tried to believe in Olette’s words, that Kairi’s grandmother really did want to meet her.

But she didn’t count on it.


	4. Chapter 4

“I can stick around if you want,” Riku said. “I’m sure Kairi won’t mind.”

“No, it’s okay,” Naminé said.

“Alright then. I’ll be waiting here if you need me, ready to chauffeur you to whatever world you wish.”

He gave her a mock bow. Naminé giggled. She waved goodbye to Riku and set off down the street. Kairi had said to meet her near the fountain court. Naminé vaguely remembered where that was. Maybe she should have asked Riku for directions.

She paused at an intersection. Something inside her didn’t feel right. She pressed a hand to her chest and felt her racing heartbeat.  _ Deep breath, Naminé. Deep breath. There you go. _

Five minutes. All she needed to do was talk for five minutes, and then she could flee to the islands, or Twilight Town, or somewhere she’d never have to do this again.

“She just wants to talk,” she said to herself. “A quick chat. Introduction, shake hands, and then you can leave.”

Her feet wouldn’t move. Her legs were rooted to the ground, stiff and unyielding. She closed her eyes.

“Just a quick chat,” she repeated. “Just a quick—”

“Hey, Naminé!”

Her eyes snapped open. Kairi waved at her from down the street.

Naminé bolted in the opposite direction.

*

She didn’t see Riku as she ran, but she didn’t stop to look. She let her legs carry her as far as they’d go, indifferent to the direction she was heading. A few minutes later, she was lost, the buildings and streets replaced by tangles of vines and flower bushes.

Naminé slumped down on a bench and tried to regain her breath. Her whole body shook—from exhaustion or fear, she didn’t know which. She wanted to scream. Xion and Olette were wrong, this was a terrible idea. Kairi’s grandmother wouldn’t want to meet her granddaughter’s Nobody.

She took a few breaths to calm herself. She needed to find Riku. She looked up at the castle to orientate herself. She was somewhere on the west side of town. All right. Riku should be waiting near the main square. Just find him and— 

“Is something the matter, dear?”

Naminé looked up. An old woman stood in front of her, a kind smile on her worn face.

She quickly wiped her eyes. “N-no. I was just . . . enjoying the garden.” She tried to relax and fake a smile.

“Hm, it looks to me you're not enjoying much of anything at the moment.”

Her smile wavered. Naminé blinked a few times to clear her vision.

“Do you mind if I sit here for a moment?” the woman asked. Naminé nodded and scooted over to make room. The woman sat down and leaned back. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

“This world has many beautiful gardens, but I love this one the best. The peonies bloom in a few weeks. Do you like flowers, dear?”

“Um, some types.”

“Well, that bush over there is the peonies. Beside them are irises, though they won’t flower until a bit later. And I really must show you the daffodil garden, Naminé.”

Naminé started and nearly cried out in shock. She stared up at the woman, who still smiled warmly.

“What? You think I wouldn’t recognize my own granddaughter?”

She nearly leapt up and ran, but the old woman’s eyes held such deep compassion that she didn’t dare move, or else risk that compassion changing to disappointment.

“H-how did you find me? Were you looking for me?”

“Looking for you? Of course I was, my dear. Kairi told me about you nearly the moment we were reunited. I’ve been waiting to meet you for the past few days. Though imagine my surprise when you turned up on my daily walk through the gardens!” She laughed to herself, so familiar a sound that Naminé’s heart leapt. The memory of that laughter, not her own memory but still clear in her mind like she was the one who’d been a child ten years ago, holding her grandmother’s hand and begging for a story.

She choked back a sob. Grandmother gathered Naminé into her arms.

For a moment, Naminé almost resisted. Fear rose in her heart, but it melted away as Naminé fell into her embrace. Her arms were surprisingly strong. She held Naminé close and let her cry. Naminé buried her face in her shoulder until her shuddering heartbeat matched the older woman’s.

“Naminé? Naminé!”

They both looked up. Kairi had entered the garden, looking around frantically. She spotted them on the bench and ran over, her face softening with relief.

“Naminé—oh. Grandma?” Kairi looked at the two of them, a mixture of hope and uncertainty on her face.

“Come sit down, Kairi. I was just telling Naminé about the flowers.” She patted the space beside her, seemingly unaware of her granddaughter’s surprise.

“Are you okay, Naminé?” Kairi asked. “I saw you run off and I thought . . . I thought I did something wrong.”

“It wasn’t you. I’m sorry for running away. And for avoiding you, Kairi. I was just really scared.” Naminé looked away, but Kairi reached over and rested her hand on Naminé’s knee. 

“So was I when I got the message. It had been so long, I thought we wouldn’t recognize each other anymore.” She glanced at her grandmother, and they shared a smile. “But we knew each other right away. Except something was still missing— _ you _ . If you came from me, Naminé, then you must be hurting as much as I was. That’s why I wanted the both of you to meet, so that you won’t feel so alone anymore.”

Naminé wiped her eyes. She curled her fingers over her heart _.  _ Her fear was still there, but now it was eclipsed by such  _ relief _ . Kairi had been right about her pain, giving voice to the heavy ache deep inside. 

“You really . . . You really want me around?”

Grandmother grasped both their hands in hers. Naminé tried to look away but couldn’t break her firm gaze.

“Why would I not want you? Now I have  _ two _ beautiful granddaughters, both safely returned to my side. And you both had a hand in saving the universe, I hear.”

“I didn’t—” Naminé started, but Kairi interrupted her.

“Yes. We couldn’t have done it without Naminé.” She took Naminé’s other hand and squeezed it tight.

“I’m proud of you both.”

Naminé tried to hold back a sob. Kairi looked over at her, tears brimming in her eyes as well. 

“You’re part of our family, Naminé,” Kairi said.

Now she was crying again, though she felt like she hadn’t really stopped. She let the tears flow freely, as did Kairi and Grandmother. The three of them sat together, one of their grandmother’s arms around their shoulders. Naminé fiddled with her butterfly bracelet. She should buy something for Kairi, to apologize for her behavior. And something for her grandmother, too.

“The restoration has come a long way this past year,” Grandmother said. “And my house is nearly fixed up now. I know you both have new home in another world, but perhaps—”

“Of course we want to stay with you,” Kairi said. “Right, Naminé?”

“Yes.” Naminé smiled and rested her head against Grandmother’s shoulder. “I’d love to.”

“And maybe you could bring more of your friends to visit. I’ve heard you girls have got quite the . . . extended family. I want to meet them all.”

*

The phone rang once before Xion answered. She and Olette appeared onscreen, their heads pressed together, nearly touching the screen with anticipation.

“So?” Xion asked. “How’d it go?”

“I, uh, I ran away,” Naminé started. The other girls frowned, so she rushed to add, “but then she found me in the garden. Uh, Kairi’s grandmother did—no,  _ our _ grandmother did.”

She couldn’t hear Xion’s response over Olette’s gasp of delight.

“So you finally met her?” Olette asked, nearly pushing Xion out of frame in her enthusiasm.

Naminé smiled. “Yeah. We talked for a bit, and then she said she was proud of me.”

“Of course she was!” Olette said. “Now you have to bring her here so we can meet her.”

“When are you going to be in Twilight Town again?” Xion asked, wrestling back control of the phone.

“Actually, I was thinking we could do that girls’ night again in Radiant Garden,” Naminé said. “You two and me, plus Kairi, Aqua, and,” she took another breath, “and Grandmother, too.”

“Yes!” they said at once. 

The girls spoke for a few more minutes before saying their goodbyes. Naminé shut off her phone and looked up at the sky. A breeze swept flower petals into the air. Grandmother was right, peonies were beautiful flowers. She’d give some to Olette and Xion the next time she was in Twilight Town, as thanks for hanging out with her yesterday.

First she was going to spend the day with her sister and her grandmother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kairi's grandmother is still alive, of course, and waiting for her granddaughter to come home.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
